Refrigerator

Abstract

A refrigerator includes a main body cabinet formed with a storage compartment, and a door coupled to the main body cabinet and opening/closing the storage compartment. A terminal installation part is provided to at least one of the main body cabinet and the door, and a terminal is detachably coupled to the terminal installation part and communicatable with other household appliances. A slide plate is provided with a holding part interposed between the terminal and the terminal installation part and maintains the terminal so as to be held to the terminal installation part. A driving part is connected with the slide plate and slides the slide plate for the terminal to be released from the terminal installation part. Thus, the present invention provides a refrigerator allowing a terminal to be detachably mounted thereon without difficulty, thereby enhancing the user's convenience and making an external appearance thereof good.

1 . A refrigerator comprising a main body cabinet formed with a storage compartment, and a door coupled to the main body cabinet and opening/closing the storage compartment, further comprising: 
 a terminal installation part provided to at least one of the main body cabinet and the door;    a terminal detachably coupled to the terminal installation part and adapted to communicate with other household appliances;    a slide plate provided with a holding part interposed between the terminal and the terminal installation part and which maintains the terminal so as to be held to the terminal installation part; and    a driving part connected with the slide plate and which slides the slide plate for the terminal to be released from the terminal installation part.    
   
   
       2 . The refrigerator according to  claim 1 , further comprising a lever unit provided to a first side of the terminal installation part and which pushes the terminal along a separating direction as the terminal is released from the terminal installation part by the driving part.  
   
   
       3 . The refrigerator according to  claim 2 , wherein the driving part comprises a driving motor supplying a rotating force, a pinion gear connected with the driving motor, and a rack gear formed in the slide plate and engaged with the pinion gear.  
   
   
       4 . The refrigerator according to  claim 3 , wherein the lever unit comprises a turning shaft coupled to the terminal installation part, a lever integrally coupled to the turning shaft and pressing the terminal along the separating direction, and a lever turning part turning the turning shaft and the lever.  
   
   
       5 . The refrigerator according to  claim 4 , wherein the slide plate comprises a first slide plate formed with the rack gear and slid by the driving motor, and a second slide plate distanced from the first slide plate and slid by a rotating force of the driving motor through the turning shaft.  
   
   
       6 . The refrigerator according to  claim 5 , wherein the lever turning part comprises a first lever gear coupled to a first end portion of the turning shaft, and a first auxiliary rack gear formed in the first slide plate and engaged with the first lever gear.  
   
   
       7 . The refrigerator according to  claim 5 , further comprising a second lever gear coupled to a second end portion of the turning shaft, and a second auxiliary rack gear formed in the second slide plate and engaged with the second lever gear.  
   
   
       8 . The refrigerator according to  claim 3 , further comprising an entrance opening formed to at least one of the main body cabinet and the door and leading to the terminal installation part for the terminal to go in and out, and a cover plate movably provided to the terminal installation part and opening/closing the entrance opening.  
   
   
       9 . The refrigerator according to  claim 8 , further comprising a transferring part which transfers the cover plate along an opening/closing direction for the cover plate to open/close the entrance opening.  
   
   
       10 . The refrigerator according to  claim 9 , wherein the transferring part comprises a guide pin coupled with the cover plate, a guiding bracket interposed between the cover plate and the slide plate and formed with a first guiding groove guiding the guide pin along an opening/closing direction of the cover plate, and a second guiding groove formed in the slide plate and guiding the guide pin for the cover plate to move along the first guiding groove as the slide plate is slid by the driving part.  
   
   
       11 . The refrigerator according to  claim 2 , further comprising a supporting member provided to a second side of the terminal installation part to support an end portion of the terminal and rotating between an installing state and a separating state of the terminal.